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Anyone met a baby/child called calais?

181 replies

Timetogrowup2016 · 08/04/2016 13:17

Dd named calais and wondered if anyone had heard it before/opinions (good or bad) on it.
I'd never heard it as a name until oh mentioned it but I love it now

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plimsolls · 08/04/2016 21:15

What a sweet looking baby! Flowers

AutumnRose1988 · 08/04/2016 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PatriciaHolm · 08/04/2016 21:18

It's a Greek name for a boy....son of boreas, the original was an argonaut.

TwoLittleBlooms · 08/04/2016 21:24

What a beautiful baby OP Flowers

cestlavielife · 08/04/2016 21:27

I know a Kalai

MrsDallowaySaid · 08/04/2016 21:34

To be honest, just like any name, you hear it and then it becomes the child, and you don't question it anymore. The child I know called Calais is a funny, quirky and fascinating twelve year old and so I think of her, not a port in France. I also know a Calley and a Callie, so the general idea is less uncommon. OP, your baby is beautiful!

IvyLeaf · 08/04/2016 21:37

You can change it before she's one. You should.

icarusandhiswings · 08/04/2016 21:46

Op, let mumsnet pull this thread. It doesn't make anyone look good.

If you've already named your child, you should avoid asking anonymous people their opinion.

This is the very worst of mumsnet, in my opinion.

guerre · 08/04/2016 23:14

Well- at least 99% of people will know how to pronounce it (unlike some of the names suggested on 'Baby Names'!)

AutumnRose1988 · 09/04/2016 17:47

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madwomanbackintheattic · 09/04/2016 18:07

The reason that Calais and 'India'/ 'Brooklyn' or whatever are utterly different is because those names are supposed to evoke the exotic, or trendy urban chic or whatever. Calais is an industrial monstrosity, full of drunken Brits on duty free trips, bag snatchers, truckers, mega-stores, ferries, and yes, now has a fairly dreadful connotation with misery and asylum seekers. Yes, you can argue that 'India' has some dreadful 'real' issues as a country, but the over-riding image is still linked to exoticism and the British fascination with the 'other'. Calais. Well, Calais. It's linked only to industrialism, misery, and cheap booze and fags in the British psyche.
But you know, whatever. We all have different tastes. I can only assume that anyone naming their child Calais has either never been there, or doesn't read a lot, and would misattribute the same sort of exoticism (oo, it sounds all French, that's luvverly). Calais is not luvverly, although I expect your dd is.
I'd be calling her Callie toot sweet Wink

MamaLazarou · 10/04/2016 00:10

Very cute baby Smile

OliviaDunham · 10/04/2016 00:21

I would call her Callie as a nick name. Not wanting to offend but my dog is called Caley and she's beautiful! (My
Real name is very popular with dogs too!!)

Alasalas2 · 10/04/2016 00:35

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TealLove · 10/04/2016 00:40

Omg why are people being so nasty to OP?

allegretto · 10/04/2016 08:44

I think this thread should be pulled so that baby Calais can't google it as a teenager!

kelda · 10/04/2016 12:08

I wouldn't worry too much about her googling her name, there will be billions of hits before she gets to the 'Calais' on this thread.

BeautifulLiar · 10/04/2016 18:36

Not sure why there's so much vitriol... and Time certainly isn't a troll.

Mslg · 11/04/2016 00:00

Wow, lots of posters from the Katie Hopkins school of baby names here Hmm

Beautiful baby OP and as long as you and your OH love your baby's name, I wouldn't give a damn about anyone else.

lorelei9here · 11/04/2016 00:03

Sung to the tune of A Town Called Malice?

lorelei9here · 11/04/2016 00:05

Before anyone asks, I can pronounce Calais but this was the first ting that came into my head.

dizzytomato · 11/04/2016 00:29

I can't believe all the people slagging off Calais. The place, not the baby, she's beautiful by the way OP. I've been to Calais twice, just for the sake of going there, not because I was passing through the grim ferry port bit. It is a pretty little town and the people who live there seem very proud of it.
It has a problem at the moment but that's outside or around it, the town itself is not as awful as people are making out.

SoupDragon · 11/04/2016 08:28

Wow, lots of posters from the Katie Hopkins school of baby names here

Not at all but when you've been picked on and teased because of a daft name choice you tend to be rather more aware of the problems the child might face.

as long as you and your OH love your baby's name, I wouldn't give a damn about anyone else.

I hate this sort of statement. Of course you have to give a damn about someone else - the child who has to live with it and explain it every time they meet someone knew. Or at least until they change it.

lottiegarbanzo · 11/04/2016 09:24

No, never heard of one.

Know it only as the ferry-port town, now so strongly associated with refugees, human misery and charity collections.

I like Callie and considered Callista at one point. Similar names, widely recognised as human names, include Calliope, Callia, Calla (well, flower name), Clara and Cleo. Or Carrie, Connie, or Camille (French pronunciation Ca-mee and Cami would be a good English nickname too).

I know you've already named her but you have gone on to ask opinions. (I wouldn't do that, here or in real life, once the child has been named, as it may be hard to take negative opinions and, by that point, who cares what other people think?) You must feel differently, or you wouldn't have asked.

So my answer is, I don't like it, think the child may encounter negative reactions and personally, would consider changing to something similar that is a more widely recognised name.

I think people choose India as hinting at the exotic, mystical and well-travelled, hinting at wisdom and 'self-discovery' in a hippyish way. Paris has classical heritage, as well as referencing the city. Brooklyn and Chelsea are not good names IMO but have become fashionable through celeb association. I'm not aware of a similar association for Calais.

zeeka · 11/04/2016 09:29

I love it. Lovely options for shortening it to callie/cal. Very pretty.

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